Question

Write a short note on the Ideals of Arya Samaj founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati.

Answer 1

The Arya Samaj, founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875, was a socio-religious reform movement aimed at reviving Vedic culture. Its core ideals include:

• Back to the Vedas: It regarded the Vedas as the ultimate, infallible source of true knowledge and spiritual truth.
• Monotheism: It advocated the worship of one formless, almighty God and strongly opposed idol worship, polytheism, and animal sacrifices.
• Social Equality: It fiercely rejected the caste system based on birth, untouchability, and child marriage while promoting women’s education and widow remarriage.
• Swaraj and Swadeshi: They sowed the early seeds of nationalism by promoting self-rule (Swaraj), the use of local goods (Swadeshi), and the use of Hindi to unite the nation.